Atlanta Falcons Potential First Round Pick: Ed Oliver

Additional Concerns

Competition Level

A second concern with Ed Oliver is competition level. Playing in the AAC he’s not facing the top offensive linemen. Prospects coming out of Power Five Conferences such as the SEC and ACC have faced much tougher competition than Oliver did at Houston.

As with many prospects from smaller schools, there will be a concern as to rather the NFL will be overwhelming initially for Ed Oliver. He will go from facing guys he physically dominates to facing fully grown men that can match his physical strength.

Personally I don’t think playing at a lower level of competition should hinder Ed Oliver. Many players from small schools have dominated at the NFL level. The most recent is Khalil Mack who played his college football at Buffalo and is widely considered the best edge rusher in the NFL.

Check out this highlight reel of Ed Oliver dominating his competition courtesy of ESPN via their YouTube Channel:

Lack of Size

The third drawback concerning Ed Oliver is his size. Even though he is listed at 290 pounds many believe he will weigh in closer to 275 pounds at the NFL combine. If that is the case he will certainly need to gain weight at the next level. That should not be a huge problem as he will be on an NFL nutrition and weight training program.